But the delay wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. As Jerry drove down the track to manually replace the sensors, racers stood outside of their cars, talking with each other about cars and strategy. The drivers ranged dramatically in age, with several teenagers electing to take on the elders. For the Stewarts, young people are the focus of the revitalization.
Travis thinks teenagers and young adults aren’t as interested in tinkering with cars as they used to be, but Jerry worries that they might decide to take the sport to the open road instead of an established track.
“We can’t eliminate it. It’s been going on for generations. But we certainly can provide a place for them to race safely,” Jerry said.
And the youth are coming. Several young car clubs have used the track for practice and competition.
Stewart doesn’t have the track in the condition he wants yet, but he is grateful for the support the racing community has shown him.
“Some of our winners just leave the money. They tell me to put it back into the track,” Stewart said.